Chasing Tails
by Shamise
Summary: There was no escaping it now. He had seen the triumphant gleam in the kitten’s eyes as Yuugi continued to talk about utterly inconsequential things, and Atem knew that this would be the first of many brainwashing attempts to come.


Title: Chasing Tails

Author: Shamise

**~(*)~**

Atem was not happy, not in the least. His midnight black tail twitched from side to side in his irritation, and he had to force himself not to extend his claws and tear them into the 'rescuer's' throat. He didn't understand what it was with humans and their so called 'calling' to 'save' him from the streets that he had called home for the past ten years.

He refrained from hissing, though a small growl did emerge from his throat, when the 'rescuer' ushered him into a pristine looking building. Several other humans were lurking around the front, making small talk or carting other creatures like him around. They all wore the same uniform that his 'rescuer' was wearing, though each one was in varying degrees of cleanliness. Each human bore a pleased expression on his or her face, clearly proud of themselves for 'rescuing' the poor creatures from the streets.

Oh course the humans felt like they had to be involved with his kind, they were a relatively 'new' species to earth, and it was a wonder that Atem's kind had gone under the radar for so long with all the advances in technology the humans had made recently. Atem allowed himself a satisfied smirk at the small victory. The humans, with their incessant need to give a name to every creature, had given them the title of 'Halfling' or Neko, as a slang term, however, the 'scientific' name eluded Atem. At first, the humans claimed that their appearance was a mutation of the human gene, and they still probably thought so, but Atem knew better. His kind looked almost identical to the humans, same sizes and same appendages, the only difference was that Atem's people bore feline characteristics: furry ears, tail, and much better balance and reflexes than the humans could ever hope so achieve. Despite the similarities, Atem knew that his kind were far apart from the human species and their incessant need to stick their noses where they don't belong.

He flattened his ears against his head in distaste, his mood quickly switching back as his 'rescuer' tugged on the leash that was attached to his neck. The double sliding doors whooshed open silently as they approached, and Atem's muscles twitched as his freedom slipped from his fingers. There was no way he could escape from a compound full of humans who all thought that creatures like him were better off corralled in a single place. Honestly, Atem thought of it as more of a prison. He would never have a moment's privacy with all the humans around, and no doubt they would try to brainwash him into thinking that living like this was the only way to survive.

A stream of warm air greeted him inside the building, the only pleasant thing about this 'situation' so far. The temperature had grown exceptionally cold these past few weeks, winter already in full swing. It was already close to the end of December, by the count of the human's calendar, and the thicker fur had done all it could to ward off the chill. It had snowed briefly a few days ago, not enough to leave any on the ground but enough to make him wander closer to the human dwellings than he normally did.

His 'rescuer' briefly stopped at the front-desk to say some kind of victory speech to the female attendant. He didn't pay enough attention to decipher what they were saying, his rudimentary understanding of the human language only helped to alert him to potential danger, not to what the males said to attract future mates.

He sighed impatiently when it seemed like the human was going to take longer than needed. He allowed his abnormally red-violet eyes to wander around the interior of the building. The walls were painted a dull off-white with a brown band streaking around the bottom. The effect may have been soothing for human eyes, but to him the colors just looked fake, nothing substantial, and it made him more nervous. The floor was a shorthaired carpet, thankfully. Creatures with claws on their feet did not mix well with a slippery tile floor. Several creatures like him followed their own 'rescuer,' some new like him and others appeared to already exist as residents here, strutting about like they owned the place. Those ones glared at him balefully, like the aristocrats they thought they were, yet Atem could only smirk back in amusement. They wouldn't stand a chance against him in a fight; he could hold his own better than anyone else. That's how he had survived ten years on the streets in Domino.

Finally, his 'rescuer' had finished flirting with the female attendant and prodded him forward. Atem scowled; the human acted as if _he_ was the one wasting time to swap scents with a potential mate.

The hallway he was led down matched the rest of the building; plain walls and carpeted floor. He passed a few clear glass walls that allowed viewing access to what looked like a recreational area, one with obstacle courses and a pool. The obstacle course looked rather similar to an urban setting one would find while hunting. Upon looking a second longer right before the glass-wall ended, Atem sighted a trio of his own kind chasing each other around inside.

He saw at least two more of those 'recreational' rooms as he was taken deeper into the building bowels. His nerves frayed at the feeling of being trapped inside this building, and it took all of his willpower not to throw a fit and take off running in the direction he came. He really did not want to be here!

Finally, after what seemed like ages of walking, he entered a brown-tilled room. The walls were that same off-white that the rest of the building was, but the tiles helped to identify what the purpose of the room was.

Atem was going to get a bath.

**~(*)~**

_If these people don't quit staring at me, I'm gonna go psycho on their asses._

Atem really didn't like being stared at. The dislike must have stemmed off of the many years of his life where his looks had gotten him into fights or situations where a human wanted to 'own' him. He never had understood what humans found so fascinating about him; he was shorter than normal creatures his age and his black fur was as common as any other color. If he thought about it seriously, it was probably his red-violet irises and his unusual hairstyle, but those things shouldn't warrant that his own kind stared at him like he was some kind of zoo animal!

His ears flattened against his head for the millionth time that day, clearly signaling to his watchers that they had better leave him alone or they'd end up walking away as Atem's new scratch-post. Thankfully, they got the message and wandered off.

Atem hunched his shoulders and sulked in his chosen corner. His nose scrunched offensively at the scent that now wafted from his newly cleaned fur. Didn't the humans know that any kind of scented shampoo would be too strong for his nose? You'd think they would with all that self-righteousness they were spewing about how they were _helping _him. Honestly, his smell had never bothered him before, and it hadn't bothered any of the other street-lurkers either.

Silently, Atem observed the occupants of the room. He was in one of those 'recreational' rooms with at least a dozen or more of his kind (thankfully, there were none of the aristocratic ilk). At least half of them appeared to be younger than he was, while the other half ranged from his age to older. A couple humans were standing guard near the entrance/exit, keeping a wary eye on the happenings. Atem snorted in amusement, there was no way those two humans alone could break up a fight should one occur, they didn't even have claws!

Atem pondered the gravity of his situation. What was he going to do? Here he was, a street-lurker, sitting all smelly-nice in a building of the humans for no purpose than to live here until he could be 'adopted' by a human family. He truthfully didn't want to taken in by any human family. They would only force rules upon him and expect that he obey them without question. They would expect him to be good with children, to be gentle and whatever else pets were supposed to be. There was a reason he had survived on the streets for so long; he wasn't about to roll over because a human said so.

"Hi there."

Atem jumped, startled at the suddenness of the voice. How had this person snuck up on him?! He normally wasn't this careless. _It's that damned shampoo._ Atem cursed. _The scent had to be clogging his nose._ He jerked his head up quickly to glare the person who dared to approach him.

_Fluffy._ That was the first thing that came to mind when he saw the one who had spoken to him. The other was rather short in height, with gray and tawny colored ears and tail. The tail was short, but extremely fluffy, and the ears were closer to a normal size. His, for the other was definitely male, hair looked similar to Atem's and his eyes were blue-violet and covered most of his face. His lips were pulled into a broad smile, and Atem could almost _taste_ the kitten-ish personality the other had.

Atem had a bad feeling about this.

When he didn't actively acknowledge the kitten's presence, the other must have taken that as an 'ok' to get closer. His ears, which had perked up at the sudden intrusion, flattened back against his head to show his displeasure at being approached. The kitten just smiled, acting oblivious to the signals he was getting, and only stopped when he was about three feet away from Atem. Easy striking range.

"I'm Yuugi." The kitten introduced himself, using a pale paw to pat his chest. "What's your name?" he asked, his tail swishing playfully from side to side. Atem let a calculative eye wander over the kitten, instantly deciding that he couldn't possibly pose a threat. By scent, the kitten wasn't that much younger than he, but his physic wasn't build to be a fighter. The kitten was probably more of a runner.

_Just stay quiet and he'll leave._ Atem thought blandly. He had encountered few kitten street-lurkers, most of them had little 'packs' that they ran around with and they didn't survive long. However, he did know that if you ignored someone for long enough, no matter what age, they would leave on his or her own.

_Eventually._

"Do you have a name?" The kitten asked curiously. It would take all of Atem's self-control not to haul off and attack this one. The kitten got a little closer, carefully not invading too much of Atem's space and that led Atem to believe that he wasn't as oblivious as he had first thought. Atem kept a mask of indifference locked on his face and adverted his eyes from the kitten.

"You don't have a name?" Atem almost couldn't bite back the exasperated sigh that crawled up his throat. Apparently, ignoring someone counted as denying he had a name. "Can I give you a name then? How about…Alfred?" Atem chocked indignantly. _Alfred?!_ Did he seriously look like an _Alfred?!_ "Hmm, I guess not."

Atem couldn't help but stare at the kitten as he continued to list and try out new names. What was with this thing?! Was this what living here did to his kind?!

"Fine." Atem forced out at some point, halting the kitten's tirade in its tracks. There was obviously no stopping him at this point, not with how determined the kitten seemed to be to 'give' him a name. He _could_ have just told the kitten that he had a name already, but that would be too much work now.

"Yami? That's an interesting name." The kitten stretched his arms out behind his back and leaned forward. "It suits you."

_Dark? What an utterly cliché name._ Atem snorted, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back into the wall. There was no escaping it now, he had seem the triumphant gleam in the kitten's eyes as he continued to talk about utterly inconsequential things, and he knew that this would be the first of many brainwashing attempts to come.

**~(*)~**

Atem laid in the afternoon sunlight, all stretched out in perfect contentment. His belly was full again from that strange food that the humans served. His chosen patch of sunlight was closer to the wall than the others would have chosen, but he still didn't care for the utter feel of openness that the others exhibited. Besides, this was _his_ patch of sunlight, and he didn't feel like sharing.

"Yami!"

Sighing, Atem quickly rolled over to the side to avoid being trampled upon by a hyper kitten. A bundle of fur landed exactly on the spot he had occupied a mere moment earlier. Then Yuugi whined mournfully at his evasion and promptly jumped up to tackle him. This time, Atem allowed the kitten to actually catch him, knowing that if he didn't Yuugi would only continue to pursue and eventually chase him from his patch of sunlight.

Atem twitched his ears as Yuugi tried to nip at them, and his tail twitched in a mixture of annoyance and amusement. Yuugi was the only one of his kind that continued to approach him, despite the 'leave-me-alone-please-go-away' vibe he was constantly emitting. He had just barely avoided getting into multiple fights during these past few weeks, but that was only because the little ball of fuzz was constantly there to divert his attention. Yuugi was probably more stubborn than the self-righteous humans that had put him here, and that was saying something.

When it didn't appear that Yuugi was going to get off of him on his own, Atem rolled over on top of him. The kitten emitted a squeak of protest as he was pressed to the floor with Atem's whole 120 pounds. He wiggled around, trying to get loose, but Atem just reclined leisurely against the kitten, his spine stretching as he gazed lazily at the ceiling.

"Yami!" Yuugi whinnied, his fluffy tail lashing at Atem's legs. "You're _heavy_."

Atem only smirked at Yuugi's protest. "Heavy, am I?" He purposefully pushed his weight further onto the kitten, not enough to hurt him though. "I think you deserve it, trying to attack me like that." Atem's eyes glanced down at Yuugi. It was strange how easily the kitten had attached itself to him. There were plenty of other people who would gladly take in this little thing. He had never been one for the guardian role; street-kittens stayed away from him, and he never went out of his way for anyone before.

Yuugi finally managed to get Atem off of him (though in all actuality, Atem let him) and sat to the side with a silly grin on his face. The kitten's very fluffy tail swayed behind him and his eyes perked up. Atem let his eyes wander back out the window after a moment. Snow had fallen during the night, blanketing the world and it magnified the weakened winter sunlight. Here, in the safety of the human building, the sunlight was an added bonus to the warm temperature and Atem wondered how on earth he would readapt to being a street-lurker.

With one glance to Yuugi, who had occupied himself with pouncing on Atem's twitching tail, he decided that he had been thoroughly brainwashed.

A genuine smile tugged at his lips while he watched Yuugi amuse himself, the kitten's tail arched high above his head. It was rather strange, if Atem was to be honest with himself. Yuugi was clearly almost as old as Atem was yet he continued to act like a kitten. Atem knew that Yuugi wasn't mentally damaged, no handicapped creature would be able to get past his defenses, and that gleam that shone in his eyes when Yuugi tried to get Atem to play was proof enough. Perhaps it was by choice that Yuugi acted this way?

_It doesn't matter._ Atem decided finally. Yuugi was Yuugi, no matter what reasons he had for acting like a kitten.

Atem's ears flattened when the presence of two people made themselves known. He had heard them coming, but had hoped that they would leave him and Yuugi alone. _So much for no confrontation_, he sighed. Yuugi froze mid-pounce once he realized that someone had approached and glanced suspiciously at the newcomers. Atem refrained from tilting his head in confusion when Yuugi suddenly tensed against his side, and merely starred at the two people who dared to invade his space.

The two were rather burly, all muscle and no grace. He recognized their faces and felt his own muscles twitch in response. Ushio and Keith; both had something of a bad reputation here. From what Atem had heard, these two were some street-lurkers who were part of the rehabilitation program the humans had started for ill-mannered and aggressive creatures. There had been little to no progress.

"Well well, what do we have here?" The shorter one, the blond named Keith sneered. He put his hands on his hips, most likely trying to strike an intimidating pose. Such tactics were ineffectual on him, but it seemed as if Yuugi took these guys as a serious threat. Atem's eyebrows angled downward, and he gently prodded Yuugi to move behind him. It wasn't like the other two could _do_ anything to the kitten while Atem was here, that would just be stupid.

"Looks like our little mouse found a street rat to play with." Ushio, the taller of the two, answered loftily as he stepped forward threateningly. His hands flexed in anticipation and his brown tail twitched eagerly. Atem straightened his spine; he knew what these signs meant. They wanted a fight.

"Back off." Atem warned, his voice confident and strong. He had dealt with this type before. They thought they were all big and bad, and attacked those who appeared weaker in order to gain 'reputation.' Atem was confident that he could hold his own in a fight, so this situation wasn't going to bother him that much.

"Ohh, the rat's got a smart tongue." Keith raised his hands in mock surrender before curling his hands into fists. Ushio copied his actions.

Sighing exasperatedly, Atem rose to his feet brushing off the imaginary dust on his pants. He straightened to his full five foot three inches height and leveled a challenging glare at the two. His hands rested lightly against the sides of his thighs and he rose to the balls of his feet. He may not have much in the area of brute strength, but he _was_ fast and a smart thinker. He could out-maneuver pretty much anything.

"At least I don't bark like a dog." Atem insulted.

Just like that, the two lunged at Atem. He slipped easily back into old habits, dodging the strike before it could reach him and sticking out a leg to trip them as they passed. They stumbled, but were soon back on their feet again and charged at him, claws ablaze. Atem smirked, his nerves coming alive at the feel of a fight. It had been too long since his last exercise.

Just as soon as it started, Ushio and Keith discovered that Atem wasn't exactly the best person to pick a fight with. They looked around for something to use to slow Atem down, they couldn't hit him if they couldn't catch him, and they grinned manically when they found something.

"N-no!" Atem froze at the sound of Yuugi's scream. Wide, red eyes locked onto where Ushio was reaching for the cowering Yuugi. The kitten seemed frozen in fear, and the blue-violet eyes were wide and unseeing. Atem's anger grew at the sight of _familiar_ fear in Yuugi's eyes; this couldn't be the first time Yuugi had been attacked.

Spinning on his heel, Atem launched a fist for Ushio's turned back, aiming for the soft flash of his neck. The blow caught him unaware, and Atem was able to leap past him and grab Yuugi's wrist, pulling him up to stand behind him. He growled fiercely at Ushio and Keith, barring his fangs and planting his ears flat against his head.

How was he going to get out of this? If he wasn't protecting someone, then he could just escape into the obstacle course and lose them there, but Yuugi was here and the kitten obviously couldn't protect itself. A shaky hand grasped the back of his shirt and Yuugi had his forehead pressed against his spine. Atem knew deep in his heart that he couldn't willingly leave Yuugi behind, no matter what the situation was.

"Back off." Atem hissed his one last warning. He interlaced his and Yuugi's fingers, gripping the kitten's hand reassuringly. He wouldn't be able to fight while these two were trying to get to Yuugi, so it looked like he would get to see just how fast of a runner Yuugi was.

While the two were spouting off more insults, Atem whispered quietly. "Yuugi, get ready to run." He felt Yuugi tense, and he knew that his message was understood. He leaned forward, completely ready when Ushio lunged forward. Atem planted a solid kick into a male's one weak area and spun around him as he came crashing down.

He tugged on Yuugi's wrist, pleased when the kitten immediately followed his lead. They raced around the fallen Ushio and Keith, who had ignored his fallen comrade to attack them. Atem's blood raced through his veins as he stretched his legs into a full out sprint, and an exhilarated grin took over his face. There was no way Ushio and Keith could keep up with their bulk weighing them down.

Atem led Yuugi into the obstacle course, planning on using the area to his advantage. It took a few times of Keith running into a wall while trying to turn a corner sharp enough for Yuugi to loosen up. Soon though, the kitten was laughing right alongside Atem. Who would have thought that running for your life would be fun?

A glance skyward gave Atem an idea. At the very top of this obstacle course there was a small platform with just enough room for a large cat to be comfortable. He and Yuugi should fit up there perfectly and the thin pole supporting it wouldn't have enough leverage for Keith or Ushio to climb up there. He had used a similar tactic quite a few times while on the streets.

Laughing, he launched Yuugi up at the pole and continued to smirk as the kitten let out a surprised squeak. "Climb!" he shouted, following right behind Yuugi. Thankfully, Yuugi caught on fast and shot up the pole, much quicker than Atem had assumed he could. Atem's claws sank into the carpet-covered pole, tearing delightful dents into the fabric. He refrained from sneezing when the kitten's fluffy tail brushed across his nose.

Suddenly, a foreign hand latched onto his ankle. He yelped, casting his eyes underneath him to glare at Keith. The infuriated cat snarled up at him, bruises from crashing into walls marring his face. It may have been amusing, but the solid grip Keith had on his ankle was cause for concern.

"Ga-k!" he hissed as Keith yanked fiercely on his ankle, nearly pulling him clean off of the pole. Pain lanced through his leg, and he vainly tried to force Keith into letting go by tearing the claws of his other foot into the mongrel's face. What should he do?! If he let go of the pole, then Keith would just drag him down to where his weight was an advantage! His eyes raced around, looking for anything to help him. _Anything._

"Atem!"

Atem had about a split-second to marvel at the fact that Yuugi had actually said his name. He had been trying for the past _two_ _weeks_ to get Yuugi to use his real name instead of that other nickname, Yami. However, the moment flew by as the bristling kitten suddenly launched down upon Keith. Hissing and clawing, Yuugi landed a direct hit to a vulnerable part of Keith face, his eyes. Keith let go of Atem's ankle with a howl of pain, reaching up his hands to press against the bleeding part of his face.

He reacted the instant Keith's attention was diverted. He grasped the scruff of Yuugi neck, the furious kitten still trying to get a piece of Keith, and launched him skyward to the top of the platform just a few feet up. Catching sight of Ushio's hulking form just appearing from around the corner, Atem sped the rest of the way up the pole, nearly landing on top of a stunned Yuugi.

For several seconds, Atem just lay gasping where he had landed half on top of Yuugi. The kitten didn't seem too worried about being landed on, because he was instantly shifting around to examine Atem's torn ankle. Atem prioritized and looked over the edge of the platform where they had left Keith. Ushio had just made it up to the fallen mongrel, huffing and puffing, and was currently glaring up at the lofted Atem and Yuugi. Keith was writhing on the floor, howling in pain as his face bled. Yuugi had gotten him good.

A triumphant smirk grew on his face as the humans came in with their restraints, eyes targeted on Keith and Ushio. It looked like the two were going to go back to brainwashing exercises to learn how to be 'good little kitties.' He watched as the two were stunned with what looked like a light-up stick and herded out of the room with collars and leashes around their necks.

He glanced at Yuugi, who was still fussing over Atem's injury, and shifted his injured ankle awkwardly. He wasn't used to allowing others near his wounds, that kind of action often warranted him getting hurt even more when they took advantage of his injury. Yuugi, however, glared up at him when he moved.

"Let me look at it." he demanded stubbornly. Surprised at the kitten's determination, Atem paused long enough for Yuugi to get a good hold on his leg. His body stiffened at the soft touches on his ankle, and he forced himself not to do anything. His claws flexed within his hands when Yuugi touched a tender spot, but that was it.

Finally, he took his leg back from the determined kitten. Yuugi huffed, saying that Atem needed some medical attention _now._ He was pretty sure that if Yuugi were a little bit more confident then the kitten would have _forced_ Atem to search aid from the humans. However, Atem was rather stubborn too, and he wasn't about to let some brainwashing humans tend to his wounds.

"I'll be fine, Yuugi. I've had worse than this."

"That doesn't matter right _now._ What matters _now_ is that you're hurt, _now_." Yuugi sputtered. "At least let me wrap it!" he whined, pleading with his hands. Atem sighed, nodding his head in acceptance. He really hoped that Yuugi never got a craving for world domination, those eyes were the ultimate key to brainwashing. The kitten fussily tore off a piece of his shirt and wrapped it around Atem's torn ankle gently. Once the cloth was secured around his ankle, Atem pulled his leg away from Yuugi. He shook his head in amusement when the kitten began to protest once again about the dangers of wounds going untreated.

He ruffled Yuugi's hair as he curled his legs closer to his body, careful keeping his ankle from hitting anything. Maroon eyes crawled around the room, taking in the glare of the sunlight off of the snow through the window. Humans bustled about outside the room wearing ridiculously red and white hats and carrying brightly wrapped packages. Their faces were bright and happy. Atem shook his head. He would never understand humans.

Yuugi's head bumped against Atem's shoulder, bringing him out of his musings. He glanced down at the kitten out of the corner of his eye. Yuugi's ears were lying low in exhaustion, and his eyes were beginning to drop. Smiling, Atem thought about just how much running they had done, and that the kitten did not have as much endurance as he did. Smoothly, Atem lowered down to all fours and reclined leisurely on the platform. Yuugi jumped in surprise at Atem's movement, and Atem just laughed softly. He closed his eyes, waiting patiently for Yuugi to decide what he was going to do.

Eventually, Atem felt the kitten move beside him. He sighed as Yuugi's lean body sprawled up against him, sharing warmth in a way that only his kind could do. Atem shifted slightly, moving to accommodate the kitten's size, and curled his tail up over them. Their heads lay close to each other, and Atem peeked out of one eye. Yuugi's expression was one of pure contentment and relaxation, and it wasn't long before Atem heard a purr emerge from the now slumbering kitten.

For several minutes, Atem just laid there, taking in all that had happened to him over the past few weeks. At first, he had been sure that he would never willingly accept the changes the humans had forced upon him, but now…now he wasn't so sure. He closed his eyes once again, listening as Yuugi murmured his name in his sleep, his real name. The sun had lowered far enough to reach their spot up on the platform, and Atem welcomed the added warmth. A deep rumbling resounded in his chest, and for a moment he was startled. He hadn't purred for so long that he didn't remember quite how good it actually felt. He curled closer to the slumbering kitten next to him, astonished at the determination that filled his entire being.

For Yuugi, he would accept it. And for Yuugi alone, would he remain here.

**~(*)~**_end_**~(*)~**

Author Notes: Well, here's my contribution to the Christmas holiday. This oneshot was inspired by the Best Puzzleshipping Contest forum, in their chat section. *waves* You guys are awesome! It's a lot of fun there, so come stop by sometime (who knows, maybe you'll be inspired too). Merry Christmas!!


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